History of rail transport in Paraguay
Encyclopedia
In 1856 started the studies to make the first railroad of the country that would go from Asunción to Paraguarí
. With the concession of the company to English hands the railroad extended to Encarnación
.
were in 1831 when, in the small town of Albania
, United States
appeared the steam train. On August 9 of the same year, with the still primitive machine called “Bull” imported from England
, was made the first journey of this locomotive that carried three small wagons with capacity for only 6 passengers each.
It was 36 years after, on October 23, 1867 that was inaugurated the train that went from San Francisco to New York
, known with the name of “Union Pacific Road”.
Later on, Cuba
was the second country of this continent to have a train. In 1834 started the construction of a railroad that would communicate La Habana with Guinness (Unión), it covered 88 miles and was opened 4 years later, in 1838.
The third country to have one was British Guyana (Georgetown-Plaisance 1848), then Peru
(Lima-Callao 1851) then Chile
, with a railroad that went from Caldera to Caiapó. The construction was directed by the North-American Engineer William Wheelwright; this was followed by Brazil
(Praia de Estrela-Fragoso in 1952).
In Argentina
, the first train was inaugurated on August 30, 1857. It extended from Buenos Aires to Moreno.
On February 22, 1862 started the work to build a railroad that would go from Buenos Aires
to Ensenada, and the person in charge was once again the Engineer Wheelwright.
The same Wheelwright directed the construction of the Argentine Central Train, used to communicate Rosario
with Córdoba
that started on April 20, 1863.
In Paraguay the intentions to have a train manifested in 1856, but only 5 years later was possible to have one working. On June 14, 1861 was made the first journey from the station to the port of Asunción
, so it could be said that the train in Paraguay was one of the first to function in South America
.
In 1856, while in the country, soldiers of the army work on the tracks and level, in England, the firms BLYTH proceed to fulfill the requests of the Paraguayan government with locomotives, wagons, rails, etc.
The construction of the track Asunción-Paraguarí was in charge of George Paddison, an English engineer hired by the government.
All kinds of accessories for the stations were built over models, with local materials.
Between 1857 and 1859 the engineers Jorge Thompson, Enrique Valpi and Percy Burrel were incorporated in the project, which help to fasten the work.
The first local train started to work on June 1861; it went a short track from the central station in Asunción to Trinidad.
Six months later the track was extended to the city of Luque
.
The extension was inaugurated on December 25 and according to the journal “El Semanario” it was motive of great joy for the citizens. “The locomotives have been functioning since 5 am until 12 pm, and it would be necessary to add three more trains to take the people that expected to get a ride and that came not only to Luque but also to Trinidad. In Luque were organized games, dances and a masquerade, in Trinidad, there were also bullfights” (transcript from the journal).
In 1862 the rail tracks extended to Areguá
.
inaugurated the train in Paraguay, he brought to the Paraguayan citizens the new technology in communications that had made such great impact in other countries of South America. This way of transportation, in terms of cost and time, was an economical revolution, and its use helped to consolidate nations and empires. Unfortunately, in Paraguay that was not the case because it suffered, as well as other industries, the ramifications of the War against the Triple Alliance
(Brazil
, Argentina
and Uruguay
), and during the times after the war, the administration past from the government to private companies.
During the war, the station of trains had to be used as a hospital.
Of the public buildings that were finished before the war of 1870, the most noticeable are the Palace of Government and the Train Station, which are still nowadays true icons of Asunción City.
The original name of the Central Train Station was “Estación San Francisco” (Station Saint Francis), even though it was known also as “Plaza San Francisco” (Square Saint Francis) in the beginning.
In these days the building it is still an attraction because of its architectonic proportions and its beauty, and is not hard to imagine that it was even more outstanding in the time it was built. The architect Alonzo Taylor directed the construction. Taylor came from Europe in the ship “Río Blanco” on May 6, 1859 and he also directed the construction of the Palace of Government along with architect Raviza.
The journals of the time made many references to the Station Saint Francis. In 1863 the journal “El Semanario” wrote: “The construction work in the station is marching well, soon the building will be complete and this beautiful construction will be considered one of the icons of the city”.
On July 30 of the same year, the journal also described a ball that took place in the main hall of the station, offered by chiefs and officers in honor to the President on his birthday.
Paraguarí Department
Paraguarí is a departamento in Paraguay. At the 2002 census it had a population of 221,932. The capital is the city of Paraguarí.- History :...
. With the concession of the company to English hands the railroad extended to Encarnación
Encarnación, Paraguay
Encarnación is the capital city of the Paraguayan department of Itapúa, located at the south of the department, on the right-hand shore of the Paraná River, opposite Posadas, Argentina...
.
The train in America
The beginnings of the train in AmericaAmericas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
were in 1831 when, in the small town of Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
appeared the steam train. On August 9 of the same year, with the still primitive machine called “Bull” imported from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, was made the first journey of this locomotive that carried three small wagons with capacity for only 6 passengers each.
It was 36 years after, on October 23, 1867 that was inaugurated the train that went from San Francisco to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, known with the name of “Union Pacific Road”.
Later on, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
was the second country of this continent to have a train. In 1834 started the construction of a railroad that would communicate La Habana with Guinness (Unión), it covered 88 miles and was opened 4 years later, in 1838.
The third country to have one was British Guyana (Georgetown-Plaisance 1848), then Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
(Lima-Callao 1851) then Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, with a railroad that went from Caldera to Caiapó. The construction was directed by the North-American Engineer William Wheelwright; this was followed by Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
(Praia de Estrela-Fragoso in 1952).
In Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, the first train was inaugurated on August 30, 1857. It extended from Buenos Aires to Moreno.
On February 22, 1862 started the work to build a railroad that would go from Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
to Ensenada, and the person in charge was once again the Engineer Wheelwright.
The same Wheelwright directed the construction of the Argentine Central Train, used to communicate Rosario
Rosario
Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the ....
with Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
that started on April 20, 1863.
In Paraguay the intentions to have a train manifested in 1856, but only 5 years later was possible to have one working. On June 14, 1861 was made the first journey from the station to the port of Asunción
Asunción
Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
, so it could be said that the train in Paraguay was one of the first to function in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
A project on rails
The possibilities of starting the construction of the railroad in Paraguay were given in 1854, during the government of Carlos Antonio López, who hired English engineers in charge of the studies made to start the first railroad line that would go from Asunción to Paraguarí.In 1856, while in the country, soldiers of the army work on the tracks and level, in England, the firms BLYTH proceed to fulfill the requests of the Paraguayan government with locomotives, wagons, rails, etc.
The construction of the track Asunción-Paraguarí was in charge of George Paddison, an English engineer hired by the government.
All kinds of accessories for the stations were built over models, with local materials.
Between 1857 and 1859 the engineers Jorge Thompson, Enrique Valpi and Percy Burrel were incorporated in the project, which help to fasten the work.
The first local train started to work on June 1861; it went a short track from the central station in Asunción to Trinidad.
Six months later the track was extended to the city of Luque
Luque
Luque is a city in Central Department, Paraguay, part of the Gran Asunción metropolitan area. It is located at around . It is the location of the Silvio Pettirossi International Airport for Asunción and the headquarters of CONMEBOL...
.
The extension was inaugurated on December 25 and according to the journal “El Semanario” it was motive of great joy for the citizens. “The locomotives have been functioning since 5 am until 12 pm, and it would be necessary to add three more trains to take the people that expected to get a ride and that came not only to Luque but also to Trinidad. In Luque were organized games, dances and a masquerade, in Trinidad, there were also bullfights” (transcript from the journal).
In 1862 the rail tracks extended to Areguá
Areguá
Areguá is a city in Paraguay; located 28 km away from the capital city Asunción. It is the capital of Central. Probably the best feature of this Paraguayan town is its geographical location; it lays between a group of rolling hills with a distinctive rock formation and a beautiful blue lake,...
.
Importance
When Francisco Solano LópezFrancisco Solano López (politician)
Francisco Solano López Carrillo was president of Paraguay from 1862 until his death in 1870. He was officially the eldest son of president Carlos Antonio López, whom he succeeded...
inaugurated the train in Paraguay, he brought to the Paraguayan citizens the new technology in communications that had made such great impact in other countries of South America. This way of transportation, in terms of cost and time, was an economical revolution, and its use helped to consolidate nations and empires. Unfortunately, in Paraguay that was not the case because it suffered, as well as other industries, the ramifications of the War against the Triple Alliance
War of the Triple Alliance
The Paraguayan War , also known as War of the Triple Alliance , was a military conflict in South America fought from 1864 to 1870 between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay...
(Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
), and during the times after the war, the administration past from the government to private companies.
During the war, the station of trains had to be used as a hospital.
Station Saint Francis
Of the public buildings that were finished before the war of 1870, the most noticeable are the Palace of Government and the Train Station, which are still nowadays true icons of Asunción City.
The original name of the Central Train Station was “Estación San Francisco” (Station Saint Francis), even though it was known also as “Plaza San Francisco” (Square Saint Francis) in the beginning.
In these days the building it is still an attraction because of its architectonic proportions and its beauty, and is not hard to imagine that it was even more outstanding in the time it was built. The architect Alonzo Taylor directed the construction. Taylor came from Europe in the ship “Río Blanco” on May 6, 1859 and he also directed the construction of the Palace of Government along with architect Raviza.
The journals of the time made many references to the Station Saint Francis. In 1863 the journal “El Semanario” wrote: “The construction work in the station is marching well, soon the building will be complete and this beautiful construction will be considered one of the icons of the city”.
On July 30 of the same year, the journal also described a ball that took place in the main hall of the station, offered by chiefs and officers in honor to the President on his birthday.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1856 | The government of Carlos A. López makes the first payment of 200.000 pesos to London engineers for the purchase of construction materials. |
| 1858 | The English engineer George Paddison comes to the country hired by the government to be in charge of the project. |
| 1860 | The government sends 120.000 pesos to the English engineers for the construction of machinery. |
| 1861 | The railroad service from Station Saint Francis (Central) to Trinidad is inaugurated. In December the service reaches to Luque. |
| 1862 | The station in Aregua is inaugurated. |
| 1864 | The rail tracks are extended to the station in Pirayú Pirayú Pirayú is a town in the Paraguarí department of Paraguay.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com... , Cerro León. |
| 1865 | The train service is suspended due to the War against the Triple Alliance. |
| 1869 | The Paraguayan army dismantles the rail tracks that had been destroyed during the war. The wagons and locomotives are taken to Buenos Aires by the Argentine army. |
| 1870 | The government of Brazil repair several stretches of rails and machinery of the train, charging the Paraguayan government 20.000 American dollars. After that, the railroad service was able to function but it poor conditions. |
| 1876 | The government authorizes the sale of the train to Luis Patri, an Italian cattleman that at the time was one the wealthiest man in Paraguay. The government used the money to pay back the debt acquired with the Brazil. |
| 1886 | The government of Bernardino Caballero buys back the train. In August, is authorized the hiring of the enterprise Patri to continue the work on the railroad in Paraguarí and Villarrica. Four new locomotives, 91 wagons for people and cargo were bought. |
| 1887 | The government of Patricio Escobar authorizes the sale of part the train service to the transnational English company “The Paraguay Central Railway” (P. C. R. C.). Start the construction of the stations in: Sapucaí Sapucaí Sapucaí is a town in the Paraguarí department of Paraguay.-Industry:Sapucai boasts what may be the last remaining dedicated workshop for the repair of wood-fired steam locomotives in the world.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com... , Caballero, Ybytimí Ybytimí Ybytimí is a village in the Paraguarí department of Paraguay.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com... , Tebicuarymí Tebicuarymí Tebicuary-mí is a district in the Paraguarí department of Paraguay.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com... and Félix P. Cardozo. |
| 1894 | The construction of the stations in: Iturbe, Maciel, Sosa and Yegros Yegros Yegros is a town in the Caazapá department of Paraguay.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com... , is finished. Four locomotives and 8 wagons are provided for the service. |
| 1907 | The government resignes to its stock shares, leaving the English company as only owner of the train service. |
| 1908 | Percival Farquhar, an American buys almost all the P. C. R. C. |
| 1910 | The Argentine government subscribes stocks for value of 220.000 pounds for the construction of the railway from Pira Pó to Pacu Cuá (Encarnación). |
| 1914 | The train service that communicates Borja, San Salvador and Charará is inaugurated. |
| 1919 | The rail tracks are extended to Abaí Abaí Abaí is a town in the Caazapá department of Paraguay.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com... . |
| 1959 | The company stopped providing the service of trains and the government insists in maintaining it functioning, absorbing the deficit. |
| 1961 | The Paraguayan government buys the train again and all the stocks in 200.000 pounds. The Ministry of Public Works takes charge of the administration and starts the legal paperwork to make it into an autarchic entity. |